28 And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.
29 Therefore, if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men.
Alma 34:28-29 (Emphasis mine)
Amulek had preached the principles of salvation. Now he adds one more important concept.
They could do everything they had been taught, but it would do them no good if they turned away the needy, the naked. If they didn’t visit the sick and give of their possessions to those in need, what you have done will do you no good. They would be as the hypocrites who deny the faith. They are expected to be charitable and take care of those less fortunate than they are.
The people who are hearing this are primarily poor. Yet, even as poor as they are, they are expected to take care of those who are in need. They cannot use their personal situation as an excuse for ignoring the needs of their neighbors.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James 1:26-27 (Emphasis mine)
Hugh Nibley comments:
“When you have done all these things, this is very important. Remember, he is talking to the selfish Zoramites. "For after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain . . . [all these spiritual exercises aren't going to get you anywhere without charity]. Therefore, if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross [you are as nothing], which the refiners do cast out." So don't harden your hearts any longer. They had been doing that.” [1] (Emphasis mine)
Sherrie Mills Johnson adds:
“It is interesting that Amulek instructed the oppressed poor to care for the needy. This seems to be a warning that they should not begin a new community (as was done before) that would merely change who the elite were. Rather, they were to always care for anyone in need, thus counteracting effects of a stratified society that marginalized segments of the population. Amulek then explained, ‘If ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men’ (Alma 34:29).” [2] (Emphasis mine)
30 And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance.
31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
Alma 34:30-33 (Emphasis mine)
After having received all these witnesses it is time for them to repent, to not harden their hearts any longer.
Amulek tells them that it is time for their salvation. This life is the time to prepare to meet God; now is the day to complete their labors. He implores them not to delay repenting until the end. Then, it’s too late. They will be cut off. On the other hand, if they repent today, the plan of redemption will be there for their benefit.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Romans 13:11-12 (Emphasis mine)
Sherrie Mills Johnson explains:
“Amulek admonished the people to ‘come forth and harden not your hearts any longer’ (Alma 34:31). This reiterates the major theme of the missionary message—that despite offenses, persecution, and adversity, what matters most in life is not a person's station or situation but how a person reacts to it. The vital thing is to repent because ‘this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God’ (Alma 34:32). According to Amulek, the Zoramite poor could not afford to wait until they were free or wealthy or part of the elite to do what is good; rather, they needed to soften their hearts, obey the commandments regardless of their circumstance in life, and concentrate on the things of God now.” [3] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Lecture 55: Alma 32-35, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 8, 2011.
[2] The Zoramite Separation: A Sociological Perspective, Sherrie Mills Johnson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed December 8, 2011.
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